Web-feeding mechanism.



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G. R. WILUAIVIS.

WEB FEEDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 7, m3.

Patented Apr, 25, 1916 2 SHEETS-SHEET1.

on sans ante amen GEORGE R. WILLIAMS. OF DOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE. ASSIGNOR T0 KEDDER PRESS COMPANY. OF DOVER. NEW HAMPSHIRE. A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

WEB-FEEDING MECHANISM.

l. l 8&359.

Application filed October 7,1913.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that I. (inonun R. \Ynmuus, a citizen of the lnited States, residing at Dover, in the county of Stralford and State of New Hampshire. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in \Veb-Feeding Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to web feeding and cutting mechanism and with regard to certain more specific features thereof, to mechanisms of the above general character particularly adapted to properly register the line of cut with respect to a printed line or the like.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a simple and practical means for adjusting the paper feed relatively to the periodicity of the cutting mechanism.

A second object is to provide mechanism of the above mentioned character having few parts. which will be cheap to manufz'u-ture and install.

further object is to provide efficient mechanism for adjusting the relative feed and cut of the web with sufficient rapidity to avoid mistakes and waste of material.

A further object is to provide rigid and sensitive mechanism of the above mentioned character which may be conveniently operated from a point adjacentthe delivery of the sheets and remain in the desired adjusted position until change is necessary.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set-forth, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims. i

In the accon'lpanying drawings, wherein is shown one of various possible embodiments of my invention. Figure 1 is a side elevation of such portions of a complete machine as are necessary to understand one embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the paper feed mechanism: Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic side elevation showing the driving means and its relation to the paper feeding and paper cut- Specifioation of Letters Patent.

. a'tmuul'ied Apr. 725. lltllltl.

Serial No. 793.793.

ting mechanism: and Fig. l is a detail view of a portion of the paper feeding mechanism.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the various views of the drawings.

ln feeding and cutting webs of printed paper into sheets it is desirable to have the line of cut uniformly disposed with respect to the printed matter, as for example when cutting printed pages or labels the ratio of feed does not always correspond with the operation of the cutting mechanism due at times to variations in atmospheric conditions, which tend to stretch or shrink the paper, the fiber tension caused by the methods of nmnufacturing. as well as the embossing. or calendering action of the printing operation, all of which tend to vary the length of the sheet.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2-3, there is denoted at 1 a portion of side frame of the machine in which is mounted a main driving shaft 2 connected with any suitable source of power (notherein shown). On this drive shaft is mounted a gear 3 which meshes at one side with a train of gears in adapted to rotate a cutter drum 5 mounted in the upper part of the frame. This drum is provided with a knife 6 which at each revolution is adapted to eoact with a stationary knife 7 adjustably mounted on the frame for severing a web 8 into sheets 10. This web is mounted on a roller 11 at one side of the machine and for convenience it will be assumed that it has already been printed with a series of labels such as might be used in covering boxes, although it is, of course, to be understood that the roll of paper may be blank. and pass through suitable intermediate printing mechanism before arriving at the paper feeding and cutting mechanism hereinafter described.

The web is passed ov a tension roller 12 and then between feed rollers 131l arranged one above the other in the upper part of the frame and closely adjacent the cutting mechanism. One of these feed rollers, preferably the lower one. is provided with a gear 15 which meshes with a second gear 16 between the paper feed mechanism and the paper feed adjusting mechanism. The paper feed adjusting mechanism in turn is driven through a set of gears l7--lR positioned therebelow which are in turn connected through gear 20 with the main driving gear 3. The gearing 1T1S interposed between the maln driving gear 3 and the paper feed adjusting mechanism carried by the frame 21 preferably comprises a set of gears of different size permitting a change from one to the other as desired when cutting sheets of materially different lengths. From the above brief description it will be seen that a single driving mechanism 3 is adapted to drive the paper feed mechanism 1314 and the paper cutting mechanism 67. The sheets after being cut are delivered to tapes 22 from which they are delivered to a stacking mechanism, not herein shown. It frequently happens, however, that the web feeding mechanism and the web cutting mechanism do not always operate in unison with the printed roll being cut whereby the line of cut takes place atthe exact end of the label.- For instance, if the web shrinks or stretches,

due to certain steps in its process of manufacture and finish, there will be a constantly increasing error from the proper line of cut. This error may be but a thousandth of an I inch at each revolution of the cutter drum,

paper but if the machine is cutting 100 sheets a minute an error of one-tenth of an inch at the end of that time will be noticeable to the operator and allow him to take such steps as may be necessary to overcome the difliculty. It is for this purpose that the compensating or web feeding adjusting mechanism is interposed between the main driving gear and the part which it controls in order to adjust the web feeding mechanism whereby the cuttingline may be advanced or retarded into correct unison with the cutting mechanism. This web feeding adjusting mechanismcomprises, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2, two parallel shafts 23 and 24 disposed side by side, extending transversely in the frame of the machine. One shaft 23 is adjnstably mounted as shown whereby the desired degree of pressure for reliability of driving action may be obtained. Each shaft carries a set or plurality of conical rollers, one set 25 being tapered in a direction opposite to the other 26. By having the rollers arranged in sets a more desirable and even feeding of the web is obtained accompanied by less chance of slipping as these rolls drive the feeding mechanism. Each shaft is provided with a gear at one end which meshes avitlione of the gears of the adjacent train connected with the main driving gear or feeding mechanism. The power taken up'by one shaft 231s transferred to the other shaft through a plurality of intermoved by means of a rack 30 at one "end having a loose connection 29 with the feed roll carriage :28 for permitting slight transverse movement, parallel to the faces of the cones. This connection is. however, free from any endwise lost motion. This rack 30 in turn meshes with a segment 31 at one end of a shaft 32 mounted in brackets on the side frame of the machine. The opposite end of the shaft 32 is provided with another segment 33. a reducing gear 31 and a hand wheel 35 whereby the operator may as he watches the delivery of the sheets properly control the feed of the web. The rack and segment mechanism together with the reducing mechanism will permit the operator to move the cylindrical rollers any desired amount and at any desired rate of speed with the assurance that when the machine is properly adjusted. which may be shortly ascertained after starting the machine, it will remain in adjustment.

The operation and method of use of a machine of this character is substantially as follows: The web is threaded by hand through the upper feed mechanism 13-14 and the end of the label properly positioned with respect to the cutting blade 6. the desired change gears 1718 necessary for the length of sheet being in position. The machine is started by throwing a clutch lever 36 and the paper feeding mechanism and the cutter drum are thereby rotated simultaneously. At the end of two or three cuts the operator will be able to tell by inspection of the labels whether or not the paper feed is operating at the correct speed to bring the cut in unison. If an error is found the operator turns the wheel 35 to the right or left to increase or decrease the rate of speed, according to whether the line of cut is short or long on the label. If the operator finds that after cutting 100 sheets the line of cut is of an inch out of the way he then gives the hand wheel one turn or two turns, as he will know by experience, in order to speed up or slow down the feed to overcome the error. After a few seconds he will find the cut exactly at the proper line whereupon he reverses the rotation of the wheel bringing it back to approximately its original position and the machine will continue to operate as desired. The slight error which occurred before adjustment would not be noticeable to the ordinary observer yet if the machine were permitted to operate for a few minutes the error would have multiplied to such an extent as to have ruined many labels. \Vhile the error is not overcome instantlyby this adjusting of the mechanism it is overcome with sufiicient rapidity to comply with more practical requircments and avoid waste of material, for in operating a machine of this character if instant adjustment were attempted while the machine is in motion there would be atendency to create a greater error in the opposite direction which would in turn have to be overcome.

It will thus be seen that the present invention comprises a simple and practical mechanism, providing a proper adjustment of the relative feed and cut of the web. Adjustment is made while the machine is in operation, from a point convenient to the delivery end thereof. and after the adjustment is made the machine will continue to operate automatically until further change is required. In short, the present device is adapted to accomplish. among others, all the I objects and advantages above set forth.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which. as a matter of language. might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is:

1. In mechanism of the character described. in combination, web feeding mechanism, cutting mechanism comprising a rotary cutter blade adapted to sever the web at intervals and means adapted to operate said mechanisms in unison comprising a driving member and operative connections between said driving member and said mechanisms, the operative connections between said driving member and said web feeding mechanism comprising a plurality of sets of relatively axially disposed conical driving rollers, a plurality of transmitting rollers between and adapted to contact with the rollers of each of said sets, and asingle manually operative means adapted to cause relative axial movement between said driving and said transmitting rollers.

2. In mechanism of the character described, in combination, a paper feeding roller, a cutter, a common driving means for operating said parts in unison, a change speed mechanism intermediate the driving mechanism and the feeding roller for positively and negatively accelerating its feed with respect to the cutter, adapted to minutely change the length of the sheet, said means comprising two sets of oppositely dis posed conical rollers, movable rollers between each pair of oppositely disposed conical rollers, and a .single manually operative means for causing a relative longitudinal movement of some of said rollers.

3. In mechanism of the character described, in combination, a paper feeding roller, a cutter, a common driving means for operating said parts in unison. a change speed mechanism adapted to vary the operation of said feeding means so as to feed more or less web for a predetermined rate of operation of said cutter, comprising two sets of oppositely disposed conical rollers. movable rollers between each pair of oppositely disposed conical rollers, a rack and gear connected with some of said rollers, and transmitting means between said rack and gear at a point adjacent the delivery end of the machine whereby some of said rollers may be moved relatively to the others for changing the paper feed.

4. In mechanism of the character described, in combination, a paper feeding mechanism, a paper cutting mechanism adapted to cut the paper into sheets, a common drive mechanism for operating said parts in unison. a change speed mechanism for said paper feeding mechanism for minutely affecting the length of the sheet adapted to be cut, comprising a plurality of oppositely disposed conical rollers intermediate the common drive mechanism and said paper feeding mechanism, and movable means for transmitting power from one conical roller to its coacting roller comprising a carriage. a plurality of rollers carried thereby. and hand controlled means for moving the carriage longitudinally with respect to the conical rollers.

In mechanism of the character described, in combination, means adapted to act on a moving web, driving means there for, and intervening mechanisms adapted to minutely vary the speed of said means, said mechanism comprising a pair of parallel shafts having a plurality of oppositely disposed conical, rollers thereon, a carriage, rollers carried by said carriage adapted to coact with adjacent pairs of conical rollers. and a rack and gear mechanism for moving said carriage longitudinally to carry said rollers into operative relation with different portions of the conical rollers.

6. In mechanism of the character described. in combination, means adapted to act on a moving web, driving means therefor, and intervening mechanism adapted to minutely vary the speed of said means, said mechanism comprising a pair of parallel shafts having a plurality of oppositely disposed conical rollers thereon, a carriage, rollers carried by said carriage adapted to coact with adjacent pairs of conical rollers. a rack and gear mechanism for moving said carriage longitudinally to carry said rollers into operative relation with different portions of I the con' -al rollers. a manually operated member, and reducing gear between said member operation of said: cutting means. and a single manually operable deviceadapted to set said change speed mechanism in different operative positions; 1

8. In mechanism of the character de I scribed, in combination. a pair of feed rollers, a rotary cutt adapted to cut the web fed by the teed rollers mto sheets, a common driving mechanism. change speed gearing for materially allecting the length of the sheet to be cut. and -a second change speed gearing adapted to minutely a tlect the length of the sheet to be cut. said second change speed gearing being interposed between said first mentioned change speed gearing .and

'the'paper feed rollers. whereby their speed isncgatively or PUHltlYt'l accelerated independently oi the cutter. said second mentioned change geariu mechanism cornpris ing two parallel shatts. one connected with the first mentioned.change gearing and the other ,-onnected with said paper feed rollers, oppositely disposed conical rollers on said shafts and movable rollers coacting with different-portions of the surfaces of said coniand cutting means in union. a change cal rollers adapted to act on the paper feed rollers. a carriage carrying said movable rollers. and hand-controlled means for moving the carriage.

t). In mechanism" of the character described, in combination, a pair of paper feed rollers. a cutter adapted to cut the web ted by the feed rollers into sheets, a common driving mechanism. change speed gearing for materially affecting the length of the sheet to be cut, and a second change speed gearing adapted to minutely afi'eet the length of the sheet to be cut. said second change speed gearing being interposed between said first mentioned change speed gearing and the paper feed rollers. whereby their speed is negatively or positively accelerated independently of the cutting mechanism, and comprising two shafts one connected with the first mentioned change gearing and the other connected with paper feed rollers, oppositely disposed conical rollers on said shafts. and

"movable rollers coacting with different por- GEORGE R. \VILLIAMS.

\Vitnesse's HERBERT L. CHAPIN, 'WA TER O. HALL. 

